Gov. McDonnell issued writs ordering special elections on June 15 in House District 26 (Harrisonburg and Rockingham County) and House District 27 (Chesterfield) to fill the vacancies created by the resignation of Delegates Sam Nixon and Matt Lohr.

Nixon resigned to become the Commonwealth's Chief Information Officer, leading the Virginia Information Technologies Agency (VITA). Lohr resigned to become Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.